COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 05.02.26

After last week's solitary by-election, there were twice as many seats available this week - including a tricky Labour defence in the West Country.  We had this down as a Labour defeat, but they managed to hold the seat by the slender margin of 16 votes over newcomers Reform.  Labour had won this seat previously in a head to head with the Conservatives, with Labour ahead by 96 votes.  As you can see, there was a huge swing away from both Labour and the Conservatives, but not enough to give Reform the winning edge.

Reform still managed a gain on the night, winning the other by-election in a surprisingly easy win over the defending Plaid Cymru.  Reform came from nowhere to dislodge the phoney nationalists by 260 votes on the small island of Ynys Gybi (Holy Island in English).

Ynys Gybi, Isle of Anglesey County Council

Ref: 603 (43.9%) New

Pld: 343 (25.0%) -3.7%

Lab: 171 (12.5%) -11.3%

Grn: 118 (8.6%) New

Con: 112 (8.2%) -13.1%

Ind: 26 (1.9%) New

Ref GAIN from Pld

Clevedon South, North Somerset Council

Lab: 350 (29.0%) -25.4%

Ref: 334 (27.7%) New

Con: 224 (18.6%) -27.0%

Grn: 197 (16.3%) New

LDm: 100 (8.3%) New

Lab HOLD

TOON TUESDAY #89

We begin this week where we left off last week, with the end of Andy Burnham's leadership ambitions (for now, anyway).  We then move on to a bumper selection depicting Starmer's visit to China, a state run in a totalitarian fashion to which our PM aspires.  Finally, we end with the Dark Lord of Epstein Island...

Graeme Bandeira for The Northern Agenda

Matt Pritchett for The Daily Telegraph

Chris Riddell for The Observer

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Andy Bunday on Instagram

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Matt Pritchett for The Daily Telegraph

Peter Brookes for The Times

Morten Morland for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Nick Newman for The Sunday Times

Matt Pritchett for The Sunday Telegraph

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Ben Jennings for The Guardian

Matt Pritchett for The Daily Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

MEME MONDAY #68

Our week began a little later than usual, but we kicked off on Wednesday with Starmer's visit to the  world's largest communist state and the model upon which his globalist handlers build their dystopian plans for our future...

Wed 28 Jan - 105 shares

Wed 28 Jan - 4 shares

Thu 29 Jan - 134 shares

Fri 30 Jan - 12 shares

Sat 31 Jan - 55 shares

Sat 31 Jan - 9 shares

Sun 1 Feb - 1,160 shares.  Karl's been sneaking some existing memes in,
particularly on the back-up page.  This classic Jones quote was even
more popular the second time around.

Sun 1 Feb - 109 shares

Two 'Diversity is Strength' Facebook Stories were also published last week.

If you appreciate what we do, you can buy us a metaphorical pint each here - we can't do this without your support.  Feel free to share our work, on the understanding that our binlabour.com watermark is retained.

Thank you.

BOATWATCH #44

Stormy weather brought another winter lull in crossings last week.  A big fat zero.

COUNCIL BY-ELECTION 29.01.26

Just one solitary council seat was up for grabs on Thursday, up in the Lowlands of Scotland.  The vacancy arose after the incumbent Conservative was found guilty of fraud and embezzlement.  Last time round all three seats were available and the Tories finished second in a tight three way contest.  The SNP had finished in front on first preferences, just twelve votes ahead of the Tories who in turn were only five votes ahead of the Lib Dems.  The three parties picked up a seat each.

With the circumstances surrounding the outgoing councillor, this was a highly unlikely hold for the Tories and we fancied the Lib Dems this time.  Indeed, the Tories crashed and burned, dropping to sixth place and propped up by only the Scottish Family Party.  The victorious Lib Dems surged way out in front of the SNP.

Bearsden South, East Dunbartonshire Council

LDm: 1,744 (38.1%) +14.9%

SNP: 789 (17.2%) -6.2%

Ref: 709 (15.5%) New

Lab: 650 (14.2%) -1.9%

Grn: 371 (8.1%) +0.9%

Con: 283 (6.2%) -17.0%

SFP: 35 (0.8%) New

LDm GAIN from Con

TOON TUESDAY #88

This week's selection of Labour chaos includes the outrageous decision to allow the Chinese to build a 'super embassy' in London, alongside another potential u-turn and the Burnham conundrum...

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Graeme Bandeira for The Northern Agenda

Christian Adams for The Sunday Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Peter Brookes for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Steve Bright for The Sun

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Pete Songi for The Guardian

MEME MONDAY #67

A quieter week, but we'll pick up again shortly...

Mon 19 Jan - 90 shares

Tue 20 Jan - 3,064 shares

Tue 20 Jan - 6 shares.  This photo is from a previous Davos, although Reeves did
attend this year.  The fact that the photo is from Davos 2023 - the year prior to their
general election victory - should give you some idea of the influence of the World
Economic Forum

Thu 22 Jan - 199 shares

Thu 22 Jan - 65 shares

Sun 25 Jan - 770 shares

Sun 25 Jan - 58 shares

Sun 25 Jan - 32 shares

If you appreciate what we do, you can buy us a metaphorical pint each here - we can't do this without your support.  Feel free to share our work, on the understanding that our binlabour.com watermark is retained.

Thank you.

BOATWATCH #43

The flurry of boats at the end of last continued into this week, before a five day lull ensued.  Raise the Colours activists arrived in Calais last week, reportedly to engage in direct action to stop the boats.  They are calling this 'Operation Overlord' (yes, seriously).  It's not clear if they have actually stopped any boats, but the French authorities have been quick to ban what they refer to as 'far right activists' from the region.  True to form for one half of the biggest people smuggling gang of them all (the other half being their British partners at the other end).

Also last week the French intercepted a waterborne small boat for the first time.  Let that sink in - the first time.  Small boat crossings began eight years ago, millions have been sent to France to stop the boats and this was only their first waterborne interception.  It's a scam that will never end.

Total = 413 (down 75 from previous week)